Caring for (and about) Caregivers

Focusing attention on the needs of caregivers benefits both patients and staff.

While the healthcare industry has paid a great deal of attention to patient experiences of late, less has been said about focusing on caregivers.

It’s not unusual for the team in an intensive care unit to have inadequate teamwork space, a depressing break area and a 75-square-foot, windowless office for the nurse manager.

But that’s starting to change, according to a recent article in Commercial Architecture.

The article quotes Tim Cole, nora systems vice president of marketing, about the importance of flooring for healthcare workers. Comfort underfoot, he notes, is appreciated by nurses who spend long hours on their feet, in some cases walking several miles in a single shift. A flexible flooring material absorbs the pressure of footsteps and makes working conditions a lot more pleasant.

“It helps to alleviate the pressure constantly placed on the joints and reduces many of the complaints associated with heel pain, plantar fasciitis, shin splints, knee pain, hip pain and lower back pain, complaints common among nurses,” Cole explains. And improving working conditions also allows nurses to feel less fatigued and better able to concentrate on their patients.

Improving working conditions for healthcare staff is a win-win for everyone. For the latest information on this broad-based movement to benefit caregivers, read the article in Commercial Architecture.